Review of A Royal Affair (2012) by Terri F — 28 Jun 2012

"Oh, I like costumes!".

I laughed a little as my mother commented on the poster for A Royal Affair, though within five minutes of the film starting I caught myself thinking to myself, "I like costumes, too.".

Truth be told, Manon Rasmussen's costumes are going to be a big "in" for Nikolaj Arcel's film and the manner in which they are shot by cinematographer Rasmus Videbæk against the luscious backdrops of 18th century Copenhagen will have audiences agape. The other big "in" is the film's concern with the bed-hopping, bodice-ripping shenanigans of the Danish court.

To his credit, writer/director Arcel delivers on all of the above quickly and satisfyingly but then he has a whole other film in store.

Not long after Caroline Mathilde (Alicia Vikander), one of King George III of England's sisters, arrives in Denmark to take up her place as their new queen it becomes clear to her that her new life is not going to be a fairytale. Her new husband King Christian VII of Denmark (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard) is mentally unsettled and the two quickly have a clash of wills. In an effort to thaw their frosty relations, Christian enlists the help of his new physician and covert Enlightenment man, Johann Friedrich Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen) and he and the Queen begin to exchange more than just political ideas.

Vikander is absolutely radiant in the film's opening scenes, expertly handling the strangling of the Queens warmth and intellectual spark but she peters into insignificance as the film becomes more and more concerned with the male leads. Følsgaard steals the majority of his scenes as the outwardly troubled King; his theatrics are entertaining but it is in his lucid moments that he really shines. Mikkelsen though, who recently picked up the best actor trophy in Cannes for The Hunt, puts the entire cast to shame. He manages to draw surprising reactions from his deceptively stoic performance. It is a masterclass in understatement.

A Royal Affair is an period drama in the vein of Queen Margot, where the finery of court provides painterly detail to sweeping historical events. The "Time of Struensee" was a tumultuous period for Denmark and a testing ground for Enlightenment ideals for Europe. Arcel and co-screenwriter Rasmus Heisterberg, the team behind the original versions of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and its two sequels, do a marvellous job balancing the intimate relationships of the central triangle, the broader political intrigue of the court and the wider social landscape.

By the film's conclusion, and it ends in a very different place from where it begins, A Royal Affair may not have tugged at the heart strings so much as taught you a thing or two about political and social constructs. A rare film which will have you leaving feeling smarter than when you went into the cinema.

And there are those lovely costumes, too.